Himalayan Eco-System Development: Impact of Fuelwood Plantation on Wastelands

In rural India the major sources of domestic energy are fuelwood, cowdung, agricultural wastes etc., and the heavy dependence on these resources by the majority of the population leads to the problems of vegetation loss, soil degradation and rapid depletion of energy sources. The results are the chronic shortages of fuelwood in rural areas where demand and supply estimates have shown that the gap is ever widening. To fight with the situation, a massive afforestation programme aiming that every village is able to meet its fuelwood requirements was sought in he government documents. In spite of the efforts there is continuous degradation of environment by large scale deforestation and making appropriate technological adjustments to overcome such problems it is essential to understand the existing domestic fuel availability and utilisation pattern at different micro eco-systems. Unfortunately information on such aspects of rural energy consumption is rather scarce in India. The present study is an effort in this direction to provide the needed information on the subject.
This book is based on a study supported by empirical analysis of the rural household enquiry carried out in two districts of Himalayan eco-system. The results of the work indicate that there is significant impact of the farm forestry activities on the total fuelwood needs of the rural households and the main source of domestic fuelwood supply during the last decade has shifted from forests and market supplies to plantations raised under the afforestation programmes. The interesting impressions of the work are domestic energy consumption with consideration to various socio-economic inputs and parameters, impact of fuelwood plantations on the life of rural households and development programme to improve the wasted lands by growing energy plantations so that the fuelwood needs of the 2001 projected are met.